>>> NOW, WE REVISIT THE HORN

--

HOFF HORN RIFF HICK SHOOTING.

A SHROUD OF GRIEF AND FEAR

ENVELOPED THE ASIAN COMMUNITY

AND A STORY IN STEERING DETAIL

IN THE NEW DOCUMENTARY RISING

AGAINST ASIAN HATE WHICH IS NOW

OUT ON PBS.ORG.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER JINAH KIM AND

ROBERT PETERSON WHOSE MOTHER WAS

KILLED JOIN HARRY TO SHED LIGHT

ON THE AFTERMATH OF THIS EVENT.

AND THIS INTERVIEW IS PART OF

THE ON GOING SERIES EXPLORING

HATE ON ANTI-SEMITISM, RACISM

AND EXTREMISM.

>> CHRISTIANE, THANKS.

THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

GINA, I WANT TO START WITH YOU.

WHY THIS FILM AND WHY NOW?

>> IF WE CAN REMEMBER THE HEIGHT

OF THE PANDEMIC AND WE SAW ONE

BRUTAL ATTACK AFTER ANOTHER

PERPETRATED ON ASIAN-AMERICANS,

THE ELDERLY AND MOST VULNERABLE

AND IT WAS ABSOLUTELY HORRIFIC

AND SO WHEN MARCH 16th HAPPENED

AND EIGHT PEOPLE WERE KILLED

BRUTALLY MURDERED WE WEREN'T

ENTIRELY SURPRISED.

WE SAW THE RHETORIC.

WE SAW THE ATTACKS HAPPENING AND

HORRIFIED AND THE TAX AGAINST

ASIAN-AMERICANS HAVE INCREASED

BY 300% IN THE PAST TWO YEARS.

AND THAT'S A STAGGERING NUMBER.

VIOLENCE AGAINST ASIAN-AMERICANS

IS NOT ANYTHING NEW.

I MEAN, YOU KNOW, HISTORY HAS

SHOWN THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS

BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS FOR A

VERY, VERY LONG TIME FOR

DECADES, GENERATIONS BUT FOR ME,

IT IS A UNIQUE MOMENT.

IT IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE NEVER

EXPERIENCED IN MY LIFE AND I'VE

HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY TO ME,

YOU KNOW, LIKE THIS IS CHANGING

THE WAY THEY LIVE.

YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LIKE MY MOTHER

DON'T FEEL SAFE.

I HAVE FRIENDS THAT DON'T TAKE

THE SUBWAY ANYMORE.

THIS IS SOMETHING WE FELT WE HAD

TO DOCUMENT AND MAKE SURE PEOPLE

UNDERSTOOD HOW GRAVE THIS ISSUE

IS.

>> BOBBY, YOUR MOTHER, YOUNGER

YOU WERE ONE OF THOSE WOMEN THAT

WERE MURDERED IN ATLANTA.

FIRST OF ALL, I GUESS, HOW ARE

YOU DOING RIGHT NOW?

>> I'M DOING OKAY?

AS BEST AS I CAN.

AGAIN, I HAVE A GOOD FAMILY TO

SUPPORT ME AND GOOD FRIENDS AND

A LARGER COMMUNITY OUT THERE

RALLIED.

WE'RE DOING OKAY.

>> TELL US ABOUT YOUR MOM.

>> MY MOTHER WAS A KOREAN WOMAN,

SHE MARRIED MY FATHER IN KOREA

AND MOVED HERE AND HAD ME IN

GEORGIA, YOU KNOW AND TRIED TO

LIVE A GREAT LIFE.

SHE WAS QUICK WHITED.

SHE WAS FUNNY AND SMART.

SHE LOVED TO COOK AND HER LOVE

LANGUAGE WAS FOOD.

SHE WOULD FEED ANYBODY AND SHARE

ABOUT OUR CULTURE.

SHE WAS A GREAT WOMAN.

>> CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT HOW YOU

HEARD THE NEWS?

TAKE US BACK TO THAT DAY, IF YOU

CAN.

>> AS I WAS GET INCOME BED, I

SAW THAT A MURDER, A KILLING HAD

HAPPENED IN ATLANTA AND I

THOUGHT LIKE MOST PEOPLE THAT'S

BAD.

BUT AT THAT SAME TIME, MY

BROTHER WAS STATIONED IN JAPAN

IN THE MILITARY AND HE CALLED

AND SAID HE HAD BEEN TRYING TO

REACH MY MOTHER VIA TEXT AND HE

COULDN'T.

SO HI WANTED ME TO GO CHECK ON

HER.

I SAID I'LL CHECK ON HER IN THE

MORNING AND THAT FOLLOWING

MORNING, I DROVE TO THESE

LOCATIONS AND I WAS LOOKING FOR

HER VEHICLE AND AT THAT TIME, IT

WAS JUST CHAOTIC AND SAD AND I

DID NOT FIND HER VEHICLE.

IT WAS EVENTUALLY THERE.

I DIDN'T SEE IT THAT MOMENT.

BUT THEN I FOUND MY WAY TO HER

HOME AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE, MY

MOM'S BEST FRIEND HAD LEFT A

NOTE ON THE DOOR TO CONTACT HER

AND AT THAT MOMENT SHE DIDN'T

KNOW EITHER THAT IT WAS ACTUALLY

MY MOTHER BUT I FOUND OUT FROM

THE MEDICAL EXAMINER WHEN I

CALLED TO IDENTIFY HER BODY.

>> JUST KIND OF LETTING THAT

SINK IN.

WHEN YOU SAW ONE OF THE FIRST

PRESS CONFERENCES THAT HAPPENED

AFTER THAT CRIME, THERE WERE

COMMENTS MADE BY THE ATLANTA

POLICE DEPARTMENT WHICH ALMOST

TRIED TO HUMANIZE THE PERSON WHO

DID THIS.

>> THE SUSPECT DID TAKE

RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE

SHOOTINGS.

HE UNDERSTOOD THE GRAVITY OF IT

AND HE WAS PRETTY MUCH FED UP

AND KIND OF AT THE END OF HIS

ROPE AND YESTERDAY WAS A REALLY

BAD DAY FOR HIM AND THIS IS WHAT

HE DID.

>> THERE WERE STORIES IN THE

PRESS AT THAT TIME TOO GOING

AFTER HIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND

TRYING TO FIND THE PERSON HE

WAS.

DID YOU -- WHAT WERE YOUR

REACTIONS THEN?

>> AT THE TIME I WAS VERY MUCH

HURT AND UNSEEN, FELT UNSEEN.

WHERE WE TRIED TO INITIALLY

RATIONALIZE THE PERPETRATORS

ACTIONS.

WE TRIED TO CREATE A DESERVING

AND UNDESERVING GROUP OF VICTIMS

BISEXUALIZING THESE WOMEN, STAGE

MATIZING THESE WOMEN AND TRYING

TO THINK OF WAYS WHY THIS PERSON

COULD BE JUSTIFIED IN DOING WHAT

HE DID AND NO ONE CAN DO THAT.

HE HAS TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY

FOR THAT.

BUT THEN WHEN WE HAVE PEOPLE IN

LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO DON'T SEE US

AS ASIAN-AMERICANS OR DON'T SEE

THE IMPACT THAT THIS HAS ON OUR

COMMUNITY, IT REALLY HURTS AND

AGAIN, TO HUMANIZE HIM RATHER

THAN TO HUMANIZE THOSE EIGHT

VICTIMS, THEY WERE HAVING A BAD

DAY.

WE ALL HAVE BAD DAYS, BUT FEW OF

US LEAD TO KILL EIGHT PEOPLE

ACROSS COUNTY LINES AND IMPACT

SO MANY FAMILIES AND FOR AGAIN,

A RACIALIZED AND SEXUALIZED

REASON SO THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE

WITH THAT AND SEEING THAT REALLY

JUST -- IT WAS DISHEARTENING TO

HEAR AGAIN AND AGAIN BY OUR

LEADERSHIP.

>> YOUR FILM POINTS OUT HOW IT

IS DIFFICULT TO BRING HATE CRIME

PROSECUTIONS AGAINST PEOPLE WHO

PERPETRATED VIOLENCE AGAINST

ASIANS.

WE'VE GOT A CLIP HERE.

>> WE HAD A LOT OF INSTANCES

WHERE THERE WERE NOOSES FOUND IN

A WORKPLACE.

WE KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS.

IT WAS GEARED TOWARDS

INTIMIDATING BLACK WORKERS IN

THE JEWISH COMMUNITY THERE IS

THE NAZI SYMBOL BUT TOWARDS

ASIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY, WE

DON'T HAVE ONE SYMBOL OR

MULTIPLE SYMBOLS THAT REALLY

SOLIDIFY THE IDEOLOGY AGAINST

ASIAN-AMERICANS.

SO IT MAKES IT TOUGHER TO LOOK

AND DIG TO FIND EVIDENCE OF THAT

MOTIVE.

>> SO WHY IS IT SO HARD?

>> I FOUND WHAT HE HAD TO SAY

VERY INTERESTING.

I NEVER THOUGHT OF IT THAT WAY.

I MEAN, ABSOLUTELY WHEN YOU SEE

A SWASTIKA OR NOOSE YOU

UNDERSTAND THAT'S AN ATTACK ON

THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND AFRICAN

AMERICANS.

FOR ASIAN-AMERICANS THERE IS A

SYMBOL AND ASIAN-AMERICANS DON'T

REPORT AT THE SAME LEVEL AS

OTHER, YOU KNOW, ETHNIC GROUPS,

YOU KNOW, FOR VARIOUS REASONS.

THEY MIGHT BE SCARED OF THE

POLICE OR FOR, YOU KNOW, A LOT

OF ASIAN-AMERICANS HAVE BEEN

TAUGHT TO KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN,

DO THE HARD WORK AND DON'T MAKE

A LOT OF NOISE.

A STUDY CAME OUT RECENTLY FROM

THE BAR ASSOCIATION THAT SAID 3%

OF THESE ATTACKS OF THESE HATE

CRIMES ARE ENDING IN CONVICTION.

WHEN YOU HAVE NUMBERS THAT LOW,

I COULD SEE HOW PEOPLE AREN'T

SPEAKING ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED TO

THEM.

I THINK IT'S A VARIETY OF

REASONS.

IT'S VERY DISHEARTENING AND I

THINK ASIAN-AMERICANS FELT

INVISIBLE IN SOCIETY FOR A LONG

TIME.

>> THE SHOOTER THAT TOOK YOUR

MOM'S LIFE PLED GUILTY TO FOUR

OUT OF THE EIGHT COUNTS.

THE D.A. DID NOT PROSECUTE A

HATE CRIME.

THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DIDN'T

ADD ANY HATE CRIME CHARGES.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT THAT THIS BE

CATEGORIZED AS A HATE CRIME?

>> THAT'S RIGHT.

THESE ARE TWO SEPARATE CASES.

HE PLEAD GUILTY FOR THE MURDER

OF THE VICTIMS AND IN ATLANTA

WHERE MY MOTHER WAS COMMITTED

WE'RE PURSUING THE DEATH

PENALTY.

FOR US AND OUR FAMILY, WE FEEL

THIS WAS A HATE CRIME AND THE

REASON IT'S IMPORTANT TO DEFINE

IT AND IDENTIFY IT AS THAT IT

GOES BACK TO WHAT GINA SAYS.

IT TELLS THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITY

YOU SEE US.

EVERYONE AT THAT TIME KNEW THAT

THIS WAS RACIALLY MOTIVATED.

THAT THIS HAD GENDER WRITTEN ALL

OVER IT.

RIGHT?

THESE WERE ASIAN-AMERICAN WOMEN.

AND THEY WERE TARGETED NOT

BECAUSE WE HAD A CONNECTION TO

THE PERPETRATOR AND SO THAT'S

WHY IT RESONATED WITH SO MANY

PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY SAW THEIR

MOTHER, MY MOTHER.

WE CAN'T SAY WE'LL BE THERE FOR

THE ASIAN COMMUNITY AND THE

COMMUNITY WHERE WE DON'T

IDENTIFY WHAT IT IS WHEN WE ARE

TARGETED AND SO WE SEE THIS

AGAIN WITH AHMAUD ARBERY.

BECAUSE AHMAUD ARBERY WE HAVE

THE LAW.

THAT TOOK AHMAUD ARBERY'S

PARENTS TO PUSH FOR THEM TO BE

SEEN AND THAT'S WHAT WE MEAN

WHEN WE SAY BLACK LIVES MATTER

OR ASIAN LIVES MATTER, WE WANT

TO COUNT JUST AS MUCH AS ANYONE

ELSE AND WE DESERVE TO BE HERE.

THAT'S WHY FOR ME, IT'S VERY

IMPORTANT WE KNOW HE'S GUILTY

BUT WE HAVE TO PROVE HIS

MOTIVATION.

>> GO BACK TO WHATEVER [ BLEEP ]

ASIAN COUNTRY YOU BELONG IN.

>> TAKE YOUR ASIAN AND SHOVE UP

UP YOUR --

>> THESE [ BLEEP ].

>> VIOLENCE AND BIAS AGAINST OUR

COMMUNITY IS NOTHING NEW.

IT BECOMES INFLAMED WHENEVER

THERE IS SOMETHING THAT

AMERICANS DON'T LIKE ABOUT ASIA,

WORLD WAR II AND PEARL HARBOR OR

CONFLICT WITH JAPAN IN THE '80s

OR 9/11, AMERICANS ARE SUFFERING

AND FEELING FEAR AND IT'S

MANIFESTING WITH THE SYMPTOM OF

ASIAN HATE.

>> YOU'RE HALF KOREAN AND HALF

BLACK AND AS IF THE PANDEMIC

WASN'T BAD ENOUGH, BOTH

COMMUNITIES IN THE CASE OF YOUR

MOM AND THE AAPI COMMUNITY AND

WHAT WAS HAPPENING ALL OVER THE

COUNTRY AND BLACK LIVES MATTER

MOVEMENT AND WHAT WAS HAPPENING

ALL OVER THE COUNTRY DURING THIS

TIME YOU WERE ACTIVE IN THE

MOVEMENTS.

WHAT WAS THAT LIKE FOR YOU?

>> I'M BLACK AND KOREAN.

MY FATHER IS BLACK AND MY FATHER

IS KOREAN.ITY OF LIVING IN

AMERICA.

BEING INVISIBLE TO MAIN STREAM

SOCIETY SOMETIMES WE KNOW WHAT

THAT FEELS LIKE AND SO YOU'RE

RIGHT DURING THAT TIME WE SEE

THE INTERACTION BETWEEN LAW

ENFORCEMENT AND AFRICAN AMERICAN

MALES AND PEOPLE IN THE

COMMUNITY WERE FIGHTING BACK IN

THE STREETS MARCHING AND PUSHING

FOR CHANGE AND THEN COVID

HAPPENED AND WE HAD LEADERSHIP

AND SEEN AN INCREASE IN HATE AND

AGAIN THE MURDER IN ATLANTA THE

AND MY MOTHER WAS THE

DEMONSTRATION OF WHAT THAT CAN

LEAD TO AND WHAT THAT DOES LEAD

TO.

SO AGAIN, IT'S AN INDIVIDUAL

THAT PERPETRATED THESE CRIMES

BUT THAT EXISTED IN A LARGER

PIECE, RIGHT?

THAT EXISTED IN A SPACE WHERE WE

ALLOWED THAT TO HAPPEN AND

ALLOWED THAT HATE TO FESTER.ITY

OF MANAGING

BOTH SIDES OF THE WORLD.

>> I WONDER HOW YOUR

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ASIAN

HALF OF YOUR LIFE SO TO SPEAK

CHANGED OR EVOLVED AFTER THIS

TRAGEDY AND THIS AWARENESS IN

YOUR COMMUNITY.

>> I THINK I MENTIONED IT IN THE

FILM THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST

TIMES I FELT TRULY EMBRACED BY

THE AAPI COMMUNITY, RIGHT,

BECAUSE THAT WAS THE GROUP THAT

WAS MOST IMPACTED BY WHAT

HAPPENED TO MY MOTHER AND MY

MOTHER BECAME A SYMBOL OF THE

PAIN OUR COMMUNITY WAS FEELING.

I'VE ALWAYS BEEN KOREAN.

I'VE ALWAYS BEEN BLACK AND FELT

PROUD OF THAT AND MY MOTHER AND

FATHER MADE SURE OF THAT.

IT WAS NEVER A CHOICE BETWEEN

THE TWO.

IT WAS THE INTERSECTION AND

GREATNESS OF BOTH.

THAT'S WHAT THIS MEANT TO ME AND

SEE ME AND MY FAMILY WAS

SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE IN THE AAPI

COMMUNITY IN ADDITION TO THE

JEWISH COMMUNITY, AFRICAN

AMERICAN COMMUNITY WAS THE STORY

THAT MY MOTHER AND FAMILY IS AND

TO BE ACCEPTED IN THAT WAY IS A

PROUD MOMENT FOR ME AND MY

FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ARE

THANKFUL.

>> THIS FILM POINTS OUT MAYBE

NOT TO SOMEONE IN THE AUDIENCE

IS A DIVERSITY.

THERE IS 50 DIFFERENT

ETHNICITIES, SO MANY DIFFERENT

LANGUAGES AND REGIONS IN THE

WORLD THAT PEOPLE COME FROM AND

WHAT IS THE LA DEE KNOW VOTE,

NOT ALL ARE THAT WAY.

HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THE

CHALLENGE OF THAT

REPRESENTATION?

>> YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT AND

FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, WE'RE SEEN

AS FOREIGNERS.

WE'VE BEEN IN THIS COUNTRY SINCE

THE START OF THE COUNTRY FOR

DECADES AND CENTURIES AND YET,

PEOPLE STILL LOOK AT US AS

PEOPLE THAT DON'T BELONG.

YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST THESE

PHYSICAL ATTACKS TAKING PLACE.

THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE BEING

VERBLY ATTACKED.

30% OF ASIAN-AMERICANS SAID THEY

HAVE BEEN VERBALLY ATTACKED LIKE

TAUNTS GO BACK TO YOUR COUNTRY.

WE POINT OUT THE ASIAN-AMERICANS

ARE THE LARGEST GROWING ETHNIC

GROUP IN THE COUNTRY AND HAVE

THE LARGEST INCOME GAP.

IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE

WHERE THIS CONVERSATION GOES AND

WHAT PLACE ASIAN-AMERICANS FIND

IN THIS SOCIETY.

>> THERE WA A VENT ARTICLE THAT

SURVEYED PEOPLE VICTIMS IN THESE

ATTACKS.

I WONDER WHEN YOU WERE

RESEARCHING AND REPORTING THIS

OUT WHAT DO YOU THINK THE

CORRELATION IS BETWEEN SEEING

PUBLIC OFFICIALS WHETHER IT'S A

FORMER PRESIDENT OR SOMEBODY

ELSE, OTHER AND MARGINALIZED THE

ASIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY, WHAT

DOES THAT DO WHEN IT COMES TO

DOING ONE OF THESE CRIMES OR FOR

THE REST OF US LETTING THE CRIME

HAPPEN.

>> THE REPORT FOUND WHEN

PERPETRATORS ARE ATTACKING

ASIAN-AMERICANS, THEY'RE

REPEATING THE SAME RHETORIC.

THEY'RE REPEATING THAT, YOU

KNOW, THAT COLORADO IS BECAUSE

OF CHINESE PEOPLE ARE BRINGING

TO THE COUNTRY AND CHINESE

AMERICANS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR

COVID AND CHINA IS RESPONSIBLE

FOR ECONOMIC ISSUES IN THE

COUNTRY AND ALSO THE NATIONAL

SECURITY CONCERNS AND SO WHEN

PEOPLE HEAR THAT, THEY REPEAT IT

AS THEY ARE ATTACKING

ASIAN-AMERICANS AND SO WORDS

MATTER.

THEY HAVE CONSEQUENCES AND WE

SEE THE CONSEQUENCES ARE VERY,

VERY DANGEROUS AND SEE SOME OF

WHAT THAT RHETORIC HAS DONE IN

THIS COUNTRY.

>> WHY IS THIS A GLOBAL COVER

-- COMPETITION IF EVERY DAY

AMERICANS ARE LOSING LIVES AND

SEE MORE CASES EVERY DAY?

>> THEY'RE LOSING THEIR LIVES

EVERYWHERE IN THE WORLD AND

MAYBE THAT'S A QUESTION YOU

SHOULD ASK CHINA.

>> SIR, WHY ARE YOU SAYING THAT

TO ME, SPECIFICALLY?

>> I'M TELLING YOU.

>> CHINA.

>> I'M NOT SAYING IT

SPECIFICALLY TO ANYBODY.

>> A PERSON AT THE WHITE HOUSE

USED THE TERM KUNG FLU.

>> KUNG FLU.

>> DOES THAT PUT ASIAN-AMERICANS

AT RISK?

>> NO.

>> MANY SAW TRUMP'S RHETORIC AS

THE LATEST EXAMPLE OF THINLY

VEILED RACE BAITING TARGETING

ASIANS.

>> THERE WERE SO MANY DIFFERENT

PEOPLE YOU SPOKE TO IN THE FILM,

WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS?

IS THERE THIS RECKONING THAT WAS

TALKED ABOUT?

HAVE THESE CRIMES THROUGH THIS

PANDEMIC UNIFIED DIFFERENT ASIAN

COMMUNITIES TO TRY TO WORK ON

CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUES TOGETHER?

SOLUTIONS ARE HAPPENING?

>> THERE IS A GALVANIZING MOMENT

FOR THE ASIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY

AND WE WANT THIS, YOU KNOW, PART

OF THE CONVERSATION.

I MEAN, IN 2016, ASIAN-AMERICANS

CAME OUT TO VOTE IN LARGE

NUMBERS.

BY 2020 THAT NUMBER HAD

INCREASED BY ANOTHER 10%.

ASIAN-AMERICANS IN 2020, THEY

CAME OUT IN HISTORIC NUMBERS TO

VOTE IN THE PRESIDENTIAL

ELECTION AND MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE

THAT THE ASIAN-AMERICAN VOTE IS

THE REASON WHY IN GEORGIA

SENATORS WARNOCK AND SENATORS

WERE ELECTED AND TIPPING THE

BALANCE OF POWER IN THE U.S.

SENATE SO I THINK

ASIAN-AMERICANS ARE GRABBING

MORE, YOU KNOW, ON -- GRABBING

MORE POWER.

THEY'RE BUILDING POWER.

ASIAN-AMERICANS HAVE BEEN

LARGELY IGNORED AND BEEN MOSTLY

INVISIBLE TO THE DEMOCRATIC

PARTY AND REPUBLICAN PARTY.

THEY HAVEN'T BEEN REACH THE OUT

TO.

ASIAN-AMERICANS ARE THE LARGEST

GROWING DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP IN THE

COUNTRY.

IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO SEE

HOW TWO PARTIES REACH OUT TO

THIS GROUP.

>> THANK YOU AGAIN AND

INCREDIBLE SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS

AND JINAH KIM, PRODUCER OF THE

FILM, "RISING AGAINST ASIAN HATE

ONE DAY IN MARCH."

THANK YOU BOTH FOR JOINING US.

>> THANK YOU.